


A Perfect Birthday

by Yunaris



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Birthday, Dating, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23891017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yunaris/pseuds/Yunaris
Summary: Yu needs Naoto out of the apartment while he cooks her birthday dinner. Kanji is tasked with taking her on a romantic date. Hi-jinks ensue.
Relationships: Narukami Yu/Shirogane Naoto, Narukami Yu/Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji, Narukami Yu/Tatsumi Kanji, Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	A Perfect Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who read my first fic and liked it. I was nervous when I first posted it, thinking "will anyone read this?" and I was really excited when it got over 100 hits!
> 
> I know it's a day late, but I wanted to write something for Naoto's birthday. Writing ended up taking longer than I thought, and so here I am, posting this at 3 AM. This one is a bit more focused on Kanji and Naoto. I'm hoping to make the next one about Yu and Naoto, and then one for Yu and Kanji. Just as a way to explore their relationships with each other. Hope you guys enjoy it!

"OK, so what's the plan again?"

Yu rolled his eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time today. He and Kanji had planned for Naoto's birthday for weeks now. Yu was going to cook the dinner, while Kanji took her out for a nice birthday date. But now that the golden day had come, Kanji's nerves had fried like he had been hit with a taser. He fidgeted as he tried to button up his shirt; his neck was too thick it seemed for the collar. Yu walked over to his boyfriend, and undid his collar.

"You don't need to button up a shirt all the way if you aren't going to wear a tie."

"O-oh."

Yu smoothed out the wrinkles Kanji had made in his shirt. He then combed his hands through Kanji's frazzled hair.

"You're going to go to the movies. What does Naoto like?"

"Oh, uh, she likes sci-fi, thrillers, and mysteries."

"What doesn't she like?"

"Horror. Specifically anything with ghosts or supernatural junk."

"Good. After that, you'll go to the cafe. Hang out, talk, enjoy some coffee, just keep her happy til...?"

"6, no, 6:30!"

"Good boy!" Yu smiled as he kissed Kanji on the cheek. Kanji just blushed in embarrassment.

"Damn it Yu, I'm not a little kid!"

"I know. You're a big, lovable, beefy man who I love."

"Now you just make me sound like a bear." Kanji chuckled, feeling some of the weight come off his shoulders. He still felt butterflies in his stomach, which Yu picked up on. He gently cupped Kanji's cheek, staring into his deep blue eyes.

"Everything's going to be ok. It's not like this is your first date with Naoto."

"I know, it's just... It's her birthday, and I don't want to screw up. I feel like everything has to be perfect, you know!"

This time it was Yu's turn to laugh. He looked back to the fridge, where a three pound cut of beef tenderloin sat, ready to be cooked into a decadent Wellington. He had never cooked one before, and to be honest, as someone who mostly grew up on Eastern cuisine, he didn't know how a baked and coated in pastry would turn out. But he always liked to challenge himself on special days, and Naoto's birthday was a very special day to them both.

"Trust me, I know how that feels. But just follow your heart, and do what you think will make her happy."

"Right. Thanks Yu."

Kanji leaned in for a kiss, which Yu happily reciprocated. Kanji's lips trembled against Yu's, and the warmth of Yu's embrace seemed to make his worries melt away. They heard a thump coming from the bathroom, where Naoto was getting washed up. Kanji looked down the hallway and called out to her.

"Yo Naoto! You alright in there?"

"I'm fine, just knocked over the soap. I'll be right out!" Naoto called back. Kanji and Yu broke their embrace and checked over Kanji's appearance one more time. Naoto walked out of the bathroom, wearing a pair of navy-blue slacks, a white, long sleeved, button down shirt, and a dark blue vest. The vest hugged her chest, showing that she wasn't wearing her binder, which she only did when going out with the boys. Naoto wasn't one for dolling herself up, but she enjoyed relaxing her image when on a date. She straightened out her vest and looked up to her boyfriends. A small smile crossed her face as she saw Kanji's eyes about to pop out of his head. Yu tried to play it cool, but Naoto could see a slight blush dust his cheeks.

"Are you ready Kanji?"

"Yeah. Yeah! I'm good to go."

"Excellent. Yu, are you sure you don't want to come with us? Unless, of course, you have something else planned for this evening?"

Of course Naoto knew Yu had planned something for dinner. She was the original detective prince, and Yu's special dinners were something that had become a tradition in their small apartment. It was a little game she and Yu had; he'd try to make something a surprise, and Naoto would try and figure it out, much to his chagrin. She had somehow figured out his plan to cook a turkey for Christmas, and he hadn't even bought the damn bird! He had to bury the puff pastry in the back of the fridge, and buy the tenderloin early in the morning to try and keep her from getting any hints.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Maybe I'm gonna go have an affair with Yosuke." He joked. Naoto rolled her eyes, though Kanji was a bit more confused.

"Is he finally out of the closet?"

"If he isn't, I probably can get him out of there." Yu joked to Naoto's chagrin.

"Alright, let's get out of here before we start discussing Hanamura's sex life." Naoto grabbed Kanji's arm and pulled him along toward the door.

"Make sure you're back in time for dinner, or you're both grounded!" Yu said in his best dad voice, as Naoto and Kanji left the apartment.

* * *

Kanji stood in front of the automated ticket booth, stumped. Out of everything he could have missed, HOW could he have forgotten to check what movies were showing at the cinema? Naoto didn't like romance movies, and they had already seen the new Featherman movie, and while he would enjoy watching the newest kids movie staring cute talking animals, he didn't know if Naoto would want to sit through it on her birthday.

"Hm, it doesn't look like there's much showing today. Is there anything you wanted to watch?" Naoto pondered as she looked at the selection.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, let's see, uh..."

 _Come on, there's got to be SOMETHING that she'd like!_ Kanji thumbed through menu in a panic, before his eyes settled on a movie. It was an older movie, a foreign movie. _Alien? That sounds like a sci-fi movie right? But the poster kinda looks like a monster movie. Is a monster movie a horror movie? I watched Godzilla movies all the time as a kid, and wasn't that scared..._

"Kanji?" Naoto's voice pulled Kanji out of his stupor, and he decided to go with his gut.

"Let's see this one!" he said, and he pulled out his wallet to pay for the tickets. Naoto looked surprised at the movie Kanji chose.

"Alien? Isn't that an older American movie?"

"Yeah, I guess they're doing a special screening or something? I just thought it looked cool, ya know?"

Naoto put her hand to her chin, pondering his choice.

"I'll admit, I am a little curious. I've heard people say it's notable for having a strong female lead for the time it was made. Not too many sci-fi movies had female leads at that time."

"Alright! Sounds like it's right up your alley! Two tickets for the sci-fi movie with a kickass lady!"

Kanji grabbed the tickets, and the pair headed into the theater.

* * *

By the time the lights came back on, Kanji's fingernails felt like they had bored their way into the armrests. Naoto's hand was gripping Kanji's forearm in an iron grip. The rest of the audience had already left, and one of the attendants walked over the couple.

"Excuse me sir? You two need to leave the room so we can clean up for the next showing."

Kanji was jolted back to reality. He looked around, only just now getting they were keeping the workers from their job.

"Oh shit! Sorry, come on Naoto, we gotta get going!"

Naoto looked embarrassed as the other attendants stared at them, hopped out of her seat, and followed Kanji out of the theater. They didn't say a word as they walked from the theater to the cafe that Yu had recommended. They sat in an awkward silence until a stern looking man came and dropped off two cups of coffee at their table. For some reason, he was wearing sunglasses inside.

"Um, sir? We haven't ordered yet."

"I know what you both want."

"Huh?" Kanji and Naoto said in unison. The gentleman placed a cup of dark coffee in front of Naoto.

"For you miss, our house blend. Black." Naoto was intoxicated by the rich, powerful aroma coming from the brew.

"It smells delicious!"

The man looked Kanji dead in the eye, and placed a second cup of coffee in front of him.

"For you, sir, I believe you will enjoy this milder blend. Two lumps of sugar, one dash of cream."

"Mild? What, you think I can't handle the harder stuff?" Kanji wasn't actually a fan of dark coffee, and he _did_ like plenty of sugar and cream in his coffee, but he didn't like the way this guy was making assumptions about him. The waiter glared at Kanji.

"Would you like the house blend as well sir? Be warned, it is not for the faint of heart."

Kanji wasn't one to be easily frightened, but the look the man gave him was one to put the fear of God into him.

"N-nah, it's good."

"Excellent. Feel free to pay when you are ready." The man left a bill on their table, and walked away to serve the other customers. Kanji sipped at his coffee meekly. So far, his plans for the day hadn't gone so well. He looked to Naoto, his beautiful girlfriend, and felt a twang of pain in his heart.

"Hey Naoto? Sorry about the movie."

Naoto looked up from her cup at Kanji.

"Oh, please, don't worry about that Kanji."

"But you were shaking like a leaf in that theater!"

"I-I wasn't that scared!" Naoto stammered. Some of the other customers overheard her outburst, and she quickly calmed herself down, lest she make a scene.

"I will admit, it was a scarier movie than I thought it would be. But honestly? I enjoyed myself."

"For real?" Kanji was surprised. Naoto's tolerance for horror was usually paper-thin.

"I did! It was a very good movie. Like you said, Ripley was a 'kickass lady'."

"Oh yeah! She was pretty cool!" Kanji felt some of his grief fade away, and he smiled as he and Naoto discussed the movie over coffee. Kanji's coffee was just to his liking; not too bitter, with just the right amount of sweetness. Seeing Naoto smiling and laughing made Kanji think that maybe this date wasn't so bad after all. As Naoto sipped her coffee between her thoughts, she sighed in complete satisfaction, which made Kanji curious.

"You really like that coffee, huh?"

"Yes, its wonderful. I wonder if they sell any bags of this blend? It would be nice to have on a cold morning."

It was then that Kanji made a terrible, awful, horrible mistake.

"You mind if I try some?"

"Are you sure? It's pretty bitter."

"Eh, a sip couldn't hurt, right?"

Naoto shrugged, and offered her cup to Kanji. Kanji took a small sip of her coffee. For a moment, everything seemed fine. But as he put the cup down, a sudden wave of bitterness overcame him. It was as though the coffee had seeped into his very blood, turning his body into a toxic, bitter wasteland. As the darkness overcame him, he could hear Naoto calling out to him.

* * *

When Kanji came to, he was outside. The sky was starting to darken, as dusk began to overtake the city. Naoto looked over him as he opened his eyes, and Kanji realized that his head was resting in Naoto's lap. Naoto smiled, relieved to see Kanji regain consciousness.

"You're ok! I was so worried!"

Kanji groaned as he put his hand to his forehead. He could feel a bump that slightly stung when he touched it.

"What happened?"

"You passed out after you tried my coffee. The barista said the house blend can be very intense for certain customers. I was so worried, he even waived the fee."

Kanji felt ashamed. Not only did he pass out from a cup of coffee, he probably embarrassed Naoto real bad. God, he couldn't imagine how embarrassed she was, having to drag his sorry ass out of the cafe.

"I'm so sorry Naoto..."

"What are you sorry for? I was the one who offered you the coffee."

Kanji raised his voice, all his frustration and anxiety bursting out like a dam.

"For everything! I took you to a scary movie, I forced you to drag me out the cafe because I couldn't handle the coffee, and you've been nothing but nice to me all day even when I keep screwing up! Why can't you just admit that I ruined your birthday." Kanji pouted as he let himself be honest. Naoto looked down at Kanji, and for a moment, didn't say anything. She pondered to herself, trying to form the right words in her mind.

"Kanji, you didn't ruin anything. I'll admit, today didn't quite go how I thought it would, but I really did have fun with you. I meant it when I said I enjoyed the movie, and I loved chatting with you in the cafe." Naoto gave Kanji a sad smile as she looped her fingers with Kanji's. "I'll admit, there are some times where I get nervous when I go out with either of you. I'm afraid I'll make things awkward, or that I'll be a killjoy, or something else. And I worry, because I don't want to ruin this wonderful thing we share; you, me, and Yu." She placed her free hand on Kanji's cheek and gently stroked it.

"I don't need it my life to be perfect. I just need you two in it."

Kanji thought he could cry. He almost did, but held his tears back. He grabbed Naoto's hand and brought it close to his mouth, so he could kiss it.

"God, I can't believe I'm lucky enough to have you."

Naoto leaned down and kissed Kanji. It was a chaste kiss, not the carnivorous kind they did when making love, but even then, they could feel the passion exuding from each other. As they broke the kiss, they smiled at each other, as the light from the setting sun shined across their faces. They heard couple of bystanders giggle at their public display of affection, and quickly seperated. Kanji sat up so fast, you'd think a shock had surged through him. The fidgeted for a moment, before Naoto stood up.

"I think it's about time we headed home, don't you?"

"Yeah, can't keep Yu-senpai waiting.: Kanji followed her down the street. After they walked a few steps, Kanji steeled his nerves and grasped Naoto's hand. She was surprised at first, but Naoto quickly reciprocated, and closed the distance between them as they walked down the street towards their apartment building.

By the time they got home, Yu was just about to pull his beef wellington out of the oven. He noticed they were holding hands, and smiled.

"Take it the date went well?"

"Nah, but it was still fun." Kanji grimaced as he answered the question. Naoto sniffed the air as the aroma from Yu's dinner wafted through the apartment.

"I take it your beef wellington turned out well?"

"Yeah, it did I-" Yu froze as the realization hit him.

"How did you...?"

"Next time, you shouldn't hide the puff pastry behind the ice cream. You never know when a midnight snack attack will ruin your plans." Naoto smirked as she walked to the kitchen table, leaving Yu dumbfounded. Kanji put a reasuring hand on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"I guess both our plans burnt out in the end, huh Yu?"

Naoto laughed as Yu hugged Kanji with a defeated look on his face.

"So, can we get this dinner started? I'll admit, I've been looking forward to sharing this dinner with my two favorite boys all day."

Kanji grinned as he took his seat at the table. While he was still a little disappointed that the surprise was ruined, Yu pulled his beef wellington out of the oven and looked over it's golden, flaky skin with pride. As he took it to the counter to start slicing it up, Naoto thought that she couldn't wait to tell Yu all about her date.

Maybe for their next movie night, they could watch _Aliens_.


End file.
